NATO to offer Ukraine ‘bridge’ to membership with new aid coordination structure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – as well as some Central European countries – fervently hoped that his country would be offered NATO membership negotiations at the summit taking place July 9-11.

However, as the New York Times reports, NATO will not propose membership negotiations at its upcoming 75th anniversary summit in Washington. Instead, the alliance will offer Ukraine a new headquarters to manage its military assistance, officials told the outlet.

Called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or NSATU, the new structure is meant to strengthen coordination of all kinds of aid to Ukraine over the long term, U.S. and NATO officials said. This decision aims to send a strong signal of allied commitment, both to kyiv and to Moscow, which hopes that the West will tire of supporting the war.

Because the mission will take place under NATO auspices, it is designed to work even if Donald Trump, a vocal critic of the alliance and aid to Ukraine, wins the U.S. presidency in November.

The Biden administration and NATO officials came up with the idea as a way to give Kiev something solid at the summit, although they maintain that now is not the time for Ukraine to attend. join.

“It’s not just that the country is still at war, which could make NATO an active participant in the fighting. President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ukraine must undertake significant reforms to reduce corruption and improve its democracy and rule of law. release notes.

The hope is that the mission and the commitment it represents will satisfy Zelensky and lead to a smoother summit than the last one, a year ago in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he made clear his displeasure when Ukraine was not offered a firm timetable for accession negotiations. .

NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine

The new mission will bring together under one roof the activities of the current “capability coalition” of countries that provide various aspects of military assistance to Ukraine, such as air defense, artillery, F-16 fighter jets , weapons and training.

It will also coordinate the training of Ukrainian military personnel in allied countries and long-term bilateral security agreements that different countries have signed with Ukraine, according to U.S. and NATO officials, who spoke undercover of anonymity because details of the plan have been revealed. not yet been announced.

Previously, aid to Ukraine was mainly provided on a country-by-country basis, with less concern about its effectiveness or even kyiv’s most pressing needs. Consolidating critical components of aid and training under a single command aims to streamline the flow and make it more consistent, officials briefed on the plan said.

The mission will work to reduce duplication and complications related to the different types of weapons sent to Ukraine.

“Trump-proof” aid to Ukraine

The mission will be based at a U.S. military installation in Wiesbaden, Germany, and led by a three-star general — likely an American — reporting directly to the top NATO and U.S. general in Europe, Gen. Christopher Cavoli.

“Placing the mission under the NATO umbrella of General Cavoli will protect it from any political change in Washington,” said Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO who was briefed on the plan.

In addition, it will operate in parallel with the Defense Contact Group in Ukraine, which is under American leadership and coordinates arms deliveries from around 50 countries to Ukraine, well beyond the 32 NATO member states. .

The group will not be officially called a “mission” due to objections from Germany, which wanted to avoid implying that it and NATO were at war with Russia, Mr. Daalder said, even though Russia is already presenting its invasion of Ukraine as a war. of “self-defense” against a hostile and constantly expanding NATO.

“This is an effort to protect Trump and a deliberate effort to bring Ukraine and NATO together to support Ukraine today and in the future,” he said. added. » said Daalder.

The Biden administration has not publicly commented on the details of the plan. But Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, said the summit would show that allies are taking “concrete measures” bring Ukraine closer together and ensure “bridge to possible membership”.

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